PFP is a group of children and adults that for nearly 2 years has been trying to find ways to make the Miramar Peninsula plastic free. We are trying to do this by reducing the amount of single use plastic used on the Peninsula. In our time as a group we have made bags out of pillowcases and ties and helped to make boomerang bags. We also have done four beach clean ups and soon to have a fifth as we are concerned about the wildlife and sealife on our Peninsula. We’ve had many meetings as well. Our latest campaign is NO STRAWS ON OUR SHORES.

We are trying to get rid of plastic straws on the Peninsula beaches which is where you come in, if you can please do these things to help us:

We are making no straws on our shores stamp cards. Kids may come into your cafe with a no straws stamp card, like the coffee cards you might have. They may say, please can I not have a straw with my drink, and then can you please stamp or tick their card. If they do not have a card this does not have to be done, but please can you not give them a straw if they ask to not have a straw.

We are trying to make this simple for you as you don’t need to hand out the cards or collect the cards, please just stamp or tick the cards.

When the cards are filled up we will give prizes at our winter beach clean up in July, the winners will be pulled out of a hat. There will be 5 winners and the prizes include a pack of metal straws and vouchers. After that has happened you will receive a certificate from the PFP team saying thank you to how you helped us have less plastic straws on our shores.

We would like to promote your cafe in this campaign. If you would like to help us by stamping the cards please email us at

plasticfreepeninsula@gmail.com

and we will add you to the list of supporting cafes/eateries.

For more information about our PFP group you can check our blog site:

Plasticfreepeninsula.wordpress.com.

Thank you for reading this letter and helping to make the Miramar Peninsula beaches plastic free!

We have been learning about our brain and how we can bring a growth mindset to things we find tricky at first. We then thought about courage, perseverance, effort, risks and growth mindset and wrote down our ideas about these things.

Lastly, we made goals about when we can use a growth mindset at school.

Next time I find something hard I will keep on trying and I wont give up . Next time I find something hard I will persevere until I can do it . Keep on trying until you can do it . Mistakes will grow your brain.By EllaGoal
Next time I come across something challenging I will keep trying to make my neurons fire. For me it is using descriptive words in literacy and at Sketching to use a positive mindset and not to criticise my own work. By Orla

Next time I try to get an idea down and I can't, I WILL PERSEVEREBy Ridley

Next time I find something hard, I will: Not give up and keep trying! ( ͡° ☆ ͡°)By Ridley

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

We have been developing persuasive pieces of writing to express our ideas to wrap up our Inquiry. What can be done to be a Forest Protector?

Many of us have developed some strong ideas about deforestation, pests and the damage they have caused and some have been focusing on water quality in New Zealand Aotearoa.

Today we had a debate to really thrash out the issue.

Great arguing guys! Just for the record book; the results turned out to be a draw:13 votes each.

Another example:

Loss of habitat by Greta Year 4

Loss of habitat , stop and think!

NZ is losing lots of forests. If we lose our forests we will lose the creatures which live in them!

I believe something must be done to protect our forests and replace what has been lost.

Birds don't wreck our homes why should we wreck theirs?

Did you know 919,000 square kilometers of trees are cut down a year.

And in 2000 - 2013 trees were cut down globally, about 70,000 square kilometers per year

Hey you; If we cut down trees it's hard for our natives to live that can't live on the ground.

Birds help to the spread seed so once they are gone, the trees can’t grow from seed.

If this goes on birds will die! Die forever means to become extinct!

Did you know every 12 years more kiwis die than live.

Hey birds do help, their poop can contain seeds.

If this goes on, natives could die.

Did you know around 4 billion trees die every year for paper so birds need to find homes elsewhere. Life on the ground is hard and can be dangerous, especially when so many of their homes are killed every year

Come on reader you gotta help everyone can make a big difference right?

What's happening to our habitat? Loss of habitat is the answer.

It's up to you and me reader.

We can do this, come on! I have the power, you do too, everyone does. Let’s stop deforestation once and for all.

Monday, 28 May 2018

Last Friday was Positive Education Whanau day. We were in groups with others from Autahi, Tautoru, Matariki and Mahutonga. It was fun to work with our brothers and sisters and to make new friends.

Each Whanau group had five character strengths to unpack. Ours were Judgement, Perseverance, Social Intelligence, Honesty and Love.

We talked about Judgement which is thinking things through and examining them from all sides, without jumping to conclusions and then we played "Would You Rather?" It was fun!

We talked about Perseverance and how we work hard to finish things that we start. We shared ideas of times we have persevered- Cross Country running, swimming, writing, maths, etc.

We discussed Love, and then we helped each other to weave a heart and create a mobile which is hanging in Tautoru.

We talked about Social Intelligence. It is when you are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease. We read the story, Knuffle Bunny Three and discussed how the girl in the story used her character strength of Social Intelligence.

Lastly, we discussed the character strength of Honesty. We played a fun game called "two truths and a lie."

Friday, 25 May 2018

Digital Citizenship runs through all that we do. We have revisited some of these ideas with the Technologies Student Council Group who will be helping to run some sessions next week.

Students at Worser Bay School co-constructed this technologies agreement. We have all taken it home, discussed with parents and signed it. It is important that we revisit this often and continue to discuss...

WBS Acceptable Use of Technologies 2018

My School Values:

Respect ourselves

Respect each other

Respect the environment

The same values apply when I am online and when using the school’s technologies.

Some ways in which I can show what this looks like when using school technologies include:

Sunday, 20 May 2018

On Friday, we started our prototypes for the inventions we are making. We are designing products or inventions that can be used to help protect our Forests. We have bird feeders, cat collars, waste disposers and so many more! Bring any materials (cardboard, recycling, tape) - basically anything your design needs!

On Wednesday our two Year 5/6 Netball teams competed and had fun at the Eastern Zones Netball Tournament. Everyone did a great job using their character strengths. We all set goals before starting the day around how we can show 'Mahi Katoa'. Mahi Katoa is something we say in the Karakia about working together.

Here are some reflections of the day:

Today went well, we all showed good sportsmanship and we all passed and shared the ball with each other. We thank the parents and teachers. We are very grateful to them for taking us to netball, and with out you we wouldn't have gone. We had lots of fun and gave it our all.
Both teams won 3 games and lost 1, we did really well.

Netball was really fun collaborating and calling for the ball.
we worked as a team and passed the ball really well.
We came second over all and bet the second hardest team.
Now it is one of my favourite sports because we work as a great team.
I think we’re going to do well.

Friday, 11 May 2018

We have been thinking about the problems which confront our native flora and fauna and are taking action to do something about it. Before we make anything though we are learning about the design process. Josh Waaka from Goodnature traps explained that they took about eight years to design their trap. It went through many iterations and each time there was an improvement. Trial and Improvement!

We are starting with the Problem, doing research to understand the problem, looking at what exists already in terms of solutions and building on those with our own ideas. We have been developing a design criteria to evaluate our design as we go.